James Tipping (1852-1912) was the only one of his parents' seven children
to survive infancy. In contrast, five of his six children reached the age
of 80 and his youngest child, Minnie, died in 1995 at the age of 104. Although
not all the Tippings were teachers, the history of the family is intimately
entwined with that of education in Victoria, both Catholic and State.
James Tipping taught over a period of 43 years in 10 Victorian State
Schools, including Bendoc, Bonegilla, Stanley and Monbulk. His children
attended his classes before completing their education at private schools.
Martha Bergin Tipping (1883-1966), was an early woman graduate from
Melbourne University, taking her BAin 1903 and MA the following year.
Having completed her course under Victorian Education Department sponsorship,
she was posted to various country and metropolitan schools, including
Melbourne High and the University Practising School (later University
High). She taught until 1915, when she resigned, as women were obliged
to do, upon marrying. One of her sons, Edmund Muirhead (1927- ), is
a Principal Fellow in the School of Physics. Martha Tipping continued
teaching after her marriage, coaching trainee nuns and priests as well
as senior pupils from St Kevin's College in French.
Elinora Mary Ursula Tipping (1891-1995), known as Minnie, interrupted
her university studies to take the veil, entering the Loreto Convent
in Ballarat in 1912. On being received into the Order in 1914, she took
the name of Mother Mary Francis Borgia. She returned to the University
and took her degree in 1928. Mother Borgia made a significant contribution
to the development of Catholic education and was remarkable for her
involvement with the outside world, even at a period when the Loreto
community existed as a semi-enclosed religious order.
Martha and Minnie Tipping's nephew, EW (Bill) Tipping (1916-1970), will
be remembered by older readers as the author of the "In Black and
White" column in the Melbourne Herald and his work for improving
provision of care to mentally disabled children. He appeared regularly
on television on Meet the Press and won a Walkley Award in 1960 for
his reporting of the Sharpeville Massacre in South Africa.
